Aerial advertising device



J. PICCO AERIAL' ADVERTISING DEVICE March 28, 1933.

ori inal Filed April 18, 1931 INVENT R Patented Mar. 28, 19 33 V Annie]; '"ninvnnmrsxim DEV-Ion AppHcation fi-Ied; fipritils wl'. Serial to. 531,219. -Renewed 1111 130, 193 2,-

This invention relates to-improvementsin devices for displaying advertising matter from movingaereplanes; and its leadingobject is toaprovidea. device-consisting of a flexible advertising Shee means; for. extend".- ingit from the rear of ,an'aeroplane, means for rolling and. unrollin-g; it,- and means ffQI operating the whole-device, wherebyan; aer0- plane can-release at will the adverti sing? sheet,

at a. safedistancel fromithe'aeropl-ane an'd can wind the device uprto air-inoperative and unexposed,position.

h invention mbod edn' aer 1-l bi1e sheet offiexiblematerial, whichiis: reinforced }5 by transversestifinir g m mbers; and by longitudinal. cords: or =webs,:fW r -ich are; connccteoh with the 'stifieningg' members, the rollable sheet 'beingalso connected by cablesor flexible- ;members with. a roller, mounted to turn: against the rear" side "of. anaeroplane, and controlled by manually operated meansfor actuating the roller in both directions, to permit of an unwinding movement, for-to cause a winding movement of the; ,ro;1ler1.

With the above. and other objects in View theinvention embracescertain new and useeombinations, constructions, andarrangements. of parts, clearly described in the .following specification, andfully illustrated -in- 3 the;accompanying-drawing, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan yjewiofthedevice-in extendedposition'fro na-naeroplane. Fig.2-is a siderelevati'on thereof. Fig.6 is a detail side elevation, of. one of p the; wir-idingd'runzis.-

Fig- 4g.- is a. bottom plan View 7 of the aeroplane, with portions thereof bre'kenfiaway for; convenience. v T 7 J I Fig. his a detail end View, of; the winding roller, showing; one of; the windinggdrunis thereof.

7 ;Fig. v6 is asimilar View of the opposite end offtheroller,

45 Fig 7 is avdetail sectional View through thedispl'ay sheet, taken on lineA Of-Fig; 1. w Fig. 8: is a" similar View taken on line B" of Fig.1. v v ,1

Referring to the accompanying drawing illustratingthe practicalgembodimem of the invention, 5' designates the body of an aerowardl-y-againstthe roller. 12;

-17, 'and are preferably twisted. aroundthem, as shown in- Fig.7. :These eordsarealso sei cured. betweenthe layers or plies of thedis V cated inthebody 5', and arranged to be' rotated plane, (5 the right "wingsgand 7: the; leftzwings, The aeroplane or vehicle isprovidediwith the usual propeller 8, driven by a suitable engine; Againstthe aerialveh-icle or; aeroplane the Winding roller 12' is mounted by the endbearings' 12a, and-.126, This roller preferably extends across the. maximum width of the 'wings, to points. near. their outer ends, where the bearings 12aand, 1325 are fixed; 'lhe-in termed iate portion -of the roller is engaged y e P i sPr SSe 11 31 rm di'qn the p mke 9 and rmeed t pres p? ,Tlo-the roller flzcthe flexible!supper cables 13-and 14' arefixed, and: th e oujter ends ofthese cables. are rigidly connected to the Sides f th fl ed p ey she 1 8-, ile the, ends of the -stiifen-ingl-stripsg or ,bars, which are secured betweenthe layers-or'plies of. the sheet 1:8,..asgshown-in Eig. in detail 7-9 V sectionql The sheet 1 8:- fIs f -u-rther reinforced by cordsx or. flexible reinforcing; members lil, which extend across .thesti fllenirrgmemb'ers play sheet 18. 'Ihe'sheet,18 is further pro;- vided withair holes-18,,- so that-,the pressu-re on opposite sides of the display sheet,'when fairly equalized,z within the safe supporting requirements.- for maintaining the device an approximatelyhorizontal plane, while in flight. "i iv I;

The roller '1-2is proyid'ed on oneend. with lever 226, which is pivotedto the: frame 121a I of'the' Winding drurni. This drum is' arranged towind the roller 12 in one direction; .rThe winding drum 16 is connected to the. cable- 23, which is connected to the'win-ding drum 24", lob in flightwh-ile trailing an aeroplanegwillbe 9 by hand. The winding drum 24 is similar in construction to the winding drum 21, and need not be described in detail. It is arranged to turn the roller 12 in the opposite direction that it is turned by the action of the winding drum 21.

The cable 19 is wound in onedirection on the winding drum15, and thecable 23 is wound in the opposite direction upon the winding drum 16. Both ofthese winding drums are carried by the ends ofthe roller 12. When a pulling action is developed by the movement of the cable 19 the roller will be turned in one direction, .thus unwinding the cable 19 from the drum 15, and at the same time winding thecable 23 on the drum 16. When a pulling action is developed on the cable 23 the cable will be unwound from the drum 16, thus turning the roller 12, and

causing the drum 15 to wind the cable 19. This action, requires the windingdrum 21 to be always operated by hand in a direction op posite to the turning movement of the ind ing drum 24. To release thedisplay sheet holding cables 13 and14 as well as the display sheetythe Winding drum 21 is operated hand in one direction, so aslto developa pull upon the cable19, and at the sametimethe winding drum 24 is operatedin a reverse direction to allow the cable 23m unwind from thedrum 24 and wind on the drumleg 'o'n the end of the roller 12. When the display sheet is in extended position,the drum 24 is wound in a winding directionyandthe drum 21 is wound in anunwinding direction, thus causing the roller to wind the cables 13 and 14 and the display sheetconnected thereto. a y

The flexible display sheet may be made of .46 silk, aeroplane fabric, or any combination of textile or other materials. Upon it the desired advertising matter is painted in large letters, or otherwise attached, as by sewing of cutletters of a contrasting color to the sheet itself. In Fig. 1 I showan arrangement for'displaying a single'word, which is shown in negative or reversed form; so that it will be readable from the ground. i

The pilot operates the winding drums 21 and 24 so that the flexible sheet is allowed to float in the air, while the aeroplane or aerial vehicle is moving at a 'fastspeed through the air. The velocity or speed of the aeroplane willcause the display sheet'to fly at an approximately horizontal position, while trailing the aeroplane or vehicle. The length of the connecting cables or ropes 13 and 14 will determine the distance in the rear ofthe aeroplane, which thedisplay sheet will be allowed to move to. i

The force of the air and the pull of the ca.- bles 13 and 14 on the opposite ends of the display sheet will keep it extended, or in approximately flat condition. Normally the device will move in a level lower than the level in which the aeroplane or vehicle itself the display sheet from advertising position,

novel aerial efiects can be produced, which will attract attention and compel interest.

It is understood that .anyyother form of winding means may be employed for turning thelwindin grollerin both directions.

The stiffening members 17 of the display sheet are heldagainst shifting from these fixed positionsby means of the flexible reinforcing cords which aretwisted around them and which extend in {the direction of travel ofthe advertising sheet. "The device is capable whenattached to anaeroplane of adequate capacity, of traveling throughthe air-with the aeroplanein-any'directiOn or plane of flight taken .by-the aeroplane. The air openings of the sheet tend to maintain balanced air pressures from the'fo'pposite sides of the advertising-sheet and together with the-transverse stitfening' membersftomake it possible for the advertisingdisplay sheet totravel through the air with-a minimum of flutteringy i constructionand combination of the parts shown, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined in theclaims ann'ex'ed hereto. 7

Various changes may be madein thedetail p Having described; my invention I claim 1. The combination with an aeroplane having oppositely extending wings and abody, ofa rollermounted near its ends 'on the wings and extending across I the body; cables connec'tedfltothe ends: of the roller, a flexible sheet connected to the cables andprovided with transverse stiflening members spaced longitudinally fromeach other, and further provided with longitudinal reinforcing flexible members, winding means for rotating 2 the roller in a winding direction, and unwinding means for rotating the roller in the opposite direction. f

2. An aerial advertising device consisting of arollable advertising display I sheet having transverse stiffening elements" and longitudinal reinforcing flexible cords interlocked with the stiffening elements, flexible cords attached to the end portions of the display sheet, a roller adapted tobe mounted against anaeri'al vehicle to which the flexible cords may be connected, a winding drum on each end of the roller, a winding drum adapted-t0 be mounted in the body of the aerial vehicle for winding the roller,a cable connecting said winding drum to one of the winding drums 7 ing display sheet may be wound and unof the roller, a similar winding drum adapted to be placed in the body of the vehicle, and a cable connecting said last named winding drum to the other winding drum of the roller, whereby the roller may be Wound by one of said body installable winding drums or unwound by the other. f 3. An aerial display device consisting of a rollable advertising display sheet, flexible cables connecting the outer end portions of the sheet, a roller, means for attaching the roller to an aerial vehicle, a winding device for turning the roller in one direction, a winding device for turning the roller in the other direction, the flexible cables being connected with the roller so that they and the'advertiswound by the roller, the display sheet being provided with air openings therein, to permit of the free flow of air through the same,

while the sheet is being trailed by an aerial vehicle in flight through the air.

4:. The combination with an aerial vehicle having a body, of a roller mounted on the body, winding drums on the ends of the roller, cables trained over the winding drums, means for winding one of said cables and unwinding the other'cable, a display sheet constructed to display'an advertisement carried thereby, cables connected' tothe ends of the display sheet and connected to the roller, and stiffening means extending across the display sheet. V 5Q The combination'with an aerial vehicle having abody, of a roller mounted to turn on the body, winding means for turning the roller in both directions of rotation, cables connected with the roller, a display sheet connected at its opposite ends to the cables c and windable with the cables on the roller, stiflening strips carried by the display sheet and extending across the same transverse of a sheet of flexible material having air openings and provided with parallel reinforcing members extending across the sheet for stlifening the sheet in flight behind an aerial vehiole through the air, and means for connecting the advertising sheetto an aerial vehicle.

7. An aerial adverising sheet adapted to be rolled up consisting of a flexible sheet having air openings therein, parallel stiflening members carried by the sheet and extending transversely thereof to permit the sheet to be rolled up, the stifiening members being longitudinally spaced apart, and a flexibleconnection' for attaching the sheet to an aerial vehicle,

whereby the sheet will be drawn behind the' ricsheet of flexible material constructed around said stiifening members to hold the same in a non-shifting placed relation to each other and cables connected to said sheet and connectable to' an aerial vehicle for supporting the sa me in flight through the air.

Signed atthecity, count and State of New c a York, this 13th day of ,p'ril', in the year 1931. v 3

' JOHNPIOGO, v 

